Pedal-action for musical instruments.



No. 673,359. Patented July 23, IQUI.

W. C. BUSENBURY. PEDAL ACTION FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

(Application filed Feb. 1, 1901.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

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(Application filed Feb. 1, 1901.)

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"WILLIAM BOSENBURY, OF RICHMOND, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO THE STARR PIANO COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE. A

PEDAL-ACTION FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 678,859, dated July 23, 1901.

Application filed February 1,1901. Serial No. 45,594. (No model.)

To otZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM C. BosEN- BURY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Richmond, in the county of Wayne and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Pedal-Actions for Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in pedal-actions for musical instruments, in which the action imparted to the pedal of a musical instrument by the feet of an operator is imparted to certain parts of the musical instruments to accomplish certain desired results; and the objects of my improvements are, first, to provide an improved pedal-action for pianos or the like simple in construction,- easy of operation, and compact in its parts; second, to provide a pedal-action for musical instruments in which the number of parts is reduced to a minimum and in which the parts are arranged and combined to cause the most direct response from the parts to be acted on, and, third, to provide a pedal-action for musical instruments which Will be noiseless in its operation and symmetrical and pleasing to the eye in its appearance.

For a full description of theinvention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means for effecting the results and of obtaining the objects above enumerated reference is to be had to the appended description and drawings, which form parts of this specification.

While the essential and characteristic features of the invention are necessarily susceptible of modification, still the preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a top plan view of my invention, taken on the line X X of Fig. 4, showing the parts as they appear in their respective places attached to the bottom or base of a piano. Fig. 2 is a plan detail view taken on the lineZ Z of Fig. 4, showing part of my improvements. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is an end elevation of a piano, taken on the line Y Y of Fig. 1, showing the end of apiano-case refrom that which is old; but it is apparent that my invention is alsoapplicable to other styles of pianos and to other musical instruments Without materially changing the construction of my invention as herein shown and described.

My improvements are perfectly adapted to accomplish the results for which they are intended; but it is evident that changes in and modifications of the construction herein shown and described may be made and that analogous parts may be used to accomplish the same results without departing from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

In the drawings, 14, 15, and 16 designate pedals projecting out from the base of the piano and adapted to be operated by the feet of the person using the same.

22, 23, and 24 designate horizontal metal rods, to which their respective pedals are at? tached, as hereinafter stated. Near the outer ends the metal rods above referred to are bent rearwardly at right angles to form the parts 25, 26, and 27, as shown in Fig. 1. The ends of the parts 25, 26, and 27 are slightly enlarged and flattened, as shown by 28, 29, and 30, through which holes or eyes are made to receive the points of the perpendicular wooden rods 31, 32, and 33. The metal rod 22 is supported and held in place by the hangers or supports 17 and 18, 23 by hangers 17 and 19, and 24 by hangers 20 and 21. The horizontal holes through the hangers are of a size sufficient to admit the metal rods and to allow said rods to oscillate therein. The hanger 17 is common to both rods 22 and 23, or two separate hangers may be used, if de sired. The inner ends of each pedal 14, 15,

sorted for the purpose of securing the pedalsto the horizontal rods. lhe hangers above referred to are secured to the floor, base, or bottom of the piano by means of screws, as shown in Fig. 1.

31, 32, and 33 represent perpendicular wooden rods the lower ends of which are,

loosely pivoted into the holes in the respective points 28, 29, and 30. In a piano, 31 is connected at the top to and adapted to operate the pianoforte loud, 32 to operate on the bass-sustanuta, and 33 to operate on the softstop or hammer-rail. Said perpendicular rods 31, 32, and 33 may be arranged to connect with or operate on other parts or on analogous mechanisms, if desired.

It is apparent that the pedals 14, 15, and 16 are adapted to vibrate perpendicularly and that when either of the pedals is depressed the respective point 28, 29, or 30 is raised, imparting to the respective perpendicular rod 31, 32, or 33 an upward endwise movement to operate on its respective mechanism.

In order to return the pedals and the movable parts connected thereto to their proper normal position, I provide a novel mechanism to be attached to each perpendicular rod, which consists of a metal spring 52, substantially as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the ends of which are securely held by a metallic rosette 50, with a screw 51 passing through the center of the rosette-and between the ends of the spring held in place thereby, and thence into some solid part of the piano, thus securely clamping the spring and holding it extended, as shown. To give more elasticity to the spring 52, I prefer to form one or more coils 54 in each arm thereof.

designated 55 forms a loop of a width suffi- The part of the spring cient to receive the perpendicular rods between the arms of the spring. In order to bring the said springs into engagement with the perpendicular rods, I insert a pin 53 through the perpendicular rods, allowing the ends of said pins to extend out at two opposite sides of the perpendicular rods and at right angles to the arms of the springs, so that the arms of the springs will rest on each end of the pin 53. When arranged as above set forth, it is apparent that the springs when attached one to each of the perpendicular rods 31, 32, and 33 will allow the pedals 14, 15, and 16 to be depressed, and when released said springs will cause the pedals to immediately rise to the highest point it is desirable to have themelevated to. In some casesas, for instance, as shownin Fig. 4-it maybe necessary or desirable to bend the arms of the spring at right angles to the plane of the rosette, which is easily accomplished.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

In a pedal-action, the combination with a movable action-rod, of projections on opposite sides of the said rod, a spring made from a single piece of resilient rod havingits intel-mediate portions shaped or bent loosely around the rod and engaging the respective projections thereon, thence being bent into spring-coils to enhance its resiliency, and

having free substantially parallel end portions, and a single fastener on a permanent support having a head which clamps both of the free ends of the spring rod against said support.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name'to thisspecification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM C. BOSENBURY.

Witnesses:

R. W. RANDLE, R. E. RANDLE. 

